Storm's Ringger named Times' Runner of the Year

Sauk Rapids' Sam Ringger is the St. Cloud Times All-Area Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year. This is a picture of him taken at the 2017 state meet at St. Olaf College in Northfield.(Photo11: Bill Johnson, Special to the Times)Buy Photo

Ringger is the first Sauk Rapids athlete to be named Runner of the Year since Nathan Haeny in 2001.

His 2018 season was everything he wanted to be, except for state. Ringger said he was "feeling under the weather. It wasn't my best race."

And know that the 17:02 he ran at state was far from his best. He had a 16:10 at the Litchfield Invitational earlier in the year.

Sauk Rapids head coach Jake Jensen said Ringger deserved being the Runner of the Year.

"I think Sam deserves Runner of the Year for his dedication to cross country running," Jensen said. "He's a guy who's out there running all year, not just the fall season.

"Whether it's cross-training at the Y or working out, he's always putting in the time. He puts in close to 1,000 miles a year."

Ringger said he plans to go out for track this spring with the goal of earning all-state status, something he missed at the state meet. He'd also like to run in college, but is undecided where. He's looking at a pre-medicine major for his bachelor's degree.

The four-time letter winner ran a season-best time of 16 minutes, 10 seconds at the Litchfield Invitational. He took first place in the Central Lakes Conference meet with a time of 16:43, earning all-conference honors for the second year in a row. He placed third in the Section 8-2A meet with a time of 16:36. The two-time state meet participant finished 123rd in Class 2A with a time of 17:02. This is his third year on the all-area team.

Another four-time letter winner, he ran a season-best time of 16:55 at the Central Minnesota Conference meet, winning the race and earning all-conference recognition for the third straight year. He took fifth in the Section 6A meet with a time of 16:29. He's a two-time state Class A meet participant who finished 50th this season with a time of 16:59. He was an honorable mention on the all-area team in 2017.

He ran a season-best time of 16:35 both at the Myron Ahle Lucky Lindy Invitational in Little Falls and at the Mega Meet in Milaca. The three-time letter-winner took second in the CLC to earn all-conference recognition and finished fourth in Section 8-2A. He took 94th at the state Class 2A meet with a time of 16:46.

This was his first year out for Becker's cross country team. He ran a season-best time of 16:58 at the Class 2A state meet, finishing in 114th place. He took third in the Granite Ridge Conference meet to earn all-conference recognition. He finished eighth in Section 8-2A with a time of 17:03.

Nies earned his second varsity letter. His best time was 16:41 at Milaca. He finished sixth in the CLC to earn all-conference honors with a time of 17:21. He was 10th in Section 8-2A with a time of 17:06. In his first state Class 2A meet, he placed 136 with a time of 17:48.

A five-time letter winner, he ran a season-best time of 16:34 at the Section 6A meet to earn a state berth, finishing seventh. He took second in the West Central Conference meet with a time of 17:29 to earn all-conference honors for the third time. At his first state meet, he placed 61st in Class A with a time of 17:04.

Another five-time letter winner, he ran a season-best time of 16:55 at the Section 6A meet. He placed second in the Central Minnesota Conference meet with a time of 17:07 to earn all-conference recognition for the fourth time. He placed 13th at the Section 6A meet with a time of 16:55. He's a three-time state meet participant who took 67th in Class A this year with a time of 17:09. This is his second time on the all-area team.